REVIEW: Voice Technologies VT5000 Shotgun Microphone

A few months ago at NAB Show 2012, one new product that caught our ear was Voice Technologies? VT5000 Shotgun Microphone. Recently we put it to a quick test to see how it performs against an industry standard model. Check out our video review below:

(To hear the best sound, watch with headphones in at least 480p, on a non-mobile device)

The VT5000?s tone and performance in different environments were much different than an industry-standard Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun microphone. The VT5000 is not as warm as the 416, having a much tighter directional pattern, and less separation between foreground and background information.

Both microphones were boomed from above at the same angle and distance, and we even moved the 416 a bit further until both signals registered at roughly the same levels and intensity on the Sound Devices 302 mixer. The VT5000 could not capture the same sibilance or ?bite? that the 416 could, but it still had nice off-axis rejection.

Voice Technologies is already known here in the US for its VT500 omni-lavalier mic, which is compatible with most wireless transmitters. On their website, they mention that the VT5000?s tonal qualities match the sound of a VT500 lavalier mic. Redding Audio, the US distributor for Rycote and Voice Technologies products, has also provided us with a VT500WATER water-resistant lavalier mic that we will be testing in a later review, and we will see how well it matches with its boom counterpart.

Overall, the VT5000 is an alternative intermediate-level shotgun microphone to try, but might not be the best choice for those who are already accustomed to the sound of more industry-standard models.